Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Understanding data sources
In order to get started with the development of a cube, a connection has to be done to
the underlying data source. SQL Server Data Tools contains a small wizard that will
help users to create the correct type of connection.
To connect to the source, you need to specify the provider that should be used as well
as the connection string needed to connect to the source. Analysis Services can be
used against several different databases apart from SQL Server; in fact, it is one of
the most common OLAP engines used with databases such as Oracle and DB2. To
connect to a non-Microsoft database, you often need to install special drivers to be
able to connect to the database.
Tip
Description of the supported databases and the necessary drivers is available at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175608.aspx .
When connecting to a Microsoft SQL Server database, there are several options
available out of the box. By default, the providers are installed on a Windows system.
However, you should use the SQL Server Native Client provider as this gives you the
best performance when connecting to the SQL Server.
Ifyouconnecttothird-partydatabases, makesurethatyouuse OLEDB providersand
not .NET providers as they have the best performance. Analysis Services is written in
C++, and if you use a .NET provider, the process needs to switch from unmanaged
code to managed code for every request that it does to the .NET provider.
When you define your connection, there are some important settings that you need to
consider. The first one is how the server should authenticate to the data source. If you
specify that you want to use Windows credentials, you have to decide which Windows
account should be used.
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